Safari Coffee House

Wish I'd seen this before I had breakfast. There were great smells coming out of the place, and an assortment of pastries and savory snacks inside. Plus coffee, of course. No menu for that, but if you know what you like, they can make it.Somali TV news on. A dozen little tables, mostly full at 9am on a weekday. I had had coffee and really didn't need more caffeine, shockingly, so I got a ginger lime juice. Very refreshing. Quick service. Reasonable prices. I'll file this one away; better than Tim Horton's, and the other Somali place across the street says it opens at 8am but I think it's actually 10 or 11.

Went for a black coffee with cream and sugar, got a black coffee with cream and sugar. $3.50 for a large is a good price for a quality product.

This place is a hidden gem; kind of a hole in the wall.Super easy to miss. It's not your typical coffee spot. Don't let the name fool you. They serve Somali food. Admittedly I've never been inside; we've only ordered out. We always get the beef steak with rice. And it is *chefs kiss* the rice is so flavorful probably cooked in some sort of broth. The steak is cut into bite size pieces and also packs a little punch. You'll also find some onions and bell peppers scattered in there as well. They also give bananas and odd fruits as well with your order. This place is never overlooked, but make sure you don't make that mistake. Also if you go after 6-7 they usually run out of the steak meat so call ahead if you're a steak person.

Safari Coffee is not the sort of coffee shop you're used to. The baristas are not hipsters. (In fact, I doubt very much they call themselves baristas at all.) And the customers are not middle-class white people. Safari Coffee is a Somali coffee shop and, yes, it was a little intimidating. They also happen to serve the best coffee I've found on Cleveland Ave, so it's worth a visit. When we went to Safari on Saturday night. And it was pretty chill when we got there. There were a few people milling about and some men in the back praying. Apparently, though, right after the evening prayer on a Saturday night is when Muslim coffee shops really get hopping. (I imagine that for a culture that doesn't drink alcohol coffee shops are the equivalents of bars.) Shortly after we got there the place got packed and we -- realizing that my companions were the only women in the place -- got a little uncomfortable. It's not that anyone was rude to us. Everyone was very polite and courteous. We just very much began to feel like we were crashing someone else's scene and that it was time to leave. All that said, the food was good. We tried a couple of the Somali desserts. I'm not sure what either of them were called. One was a little coconut pastry with hints of nutmeg. It was refreshing: a good summery snack. We also had a little rectangular cookie-like pastry. It reminded me a bit of a nammora cake, but drier. It was sweet, and sturdy. I wanted to dunk it in my coffee, but I wasn't sure how that would be received. The coffee was solid. We all ordered the "cup of the day" which was basically an americano. The guy pulled what looked like a double-shot of espresso and filled the rest of the cup with steaming hot water. One of my companions got it with cream, and it was basically a latte. The dude could pull some shots, though. They were good: not too bitter and they had a nice, dark crema. My only real beef was that the coffee was pre-ground but I'm happy to let that slide. Safari coffee is certainly the most unique coffee shop I've been to in Columbus. It's worth stepping outside of your comfort zone for, but I would recommend trying it some other time than 8:00 on a Saturday when it will, hopefully, be fairly quiet.

Oh Safari Coffee House--- You are hidden WELL off the beaten path (BEHIND/catty-corner the Save-a-Lot Grocery, or you can say behind Taco Bell...) but soooooo worth the hunt, and the semi-awkard/exotic "otherness" of this hole in the wall Somali cafe!! The coffee's what coffee SHOULD taste like-- First time I had it, it was soooo good and INTENSE that I think I finally fell asleep at about 3am or so! This time, years after leaving this melting pot, slightly seedy but ohh so foreign slice of middle America, I ordered my favorite Somali Tea, an amazing blend of mysterious spices, including Cardomom, which is like Chai but even better... I worked closely w/ the Somali population here in Columbus in the early 2000's and found them to be a warm, inviting people, who have managed to make a fresh start for themselves in the wilds of "exotic" Columbus, Ohioooo!! Trivia: Columbus has the 2nd largest population of Somalis in the US, after Minneapolis, MN.

They have great Samosas, good coffee and lovely people behind the counter. They are a little tucked away. don't miss it

Authentic and delicious Somali coffee house and restaurant. The lamb shank is amazing and the sambusas are a delight.We came for the coffee but stayed to order food once we realized it was a restaurant on the other side. Love that they give you a banana and water. Great service, authentic vibe. People were super friendly and lots of folks were watching the soccer match. Great place!

Terrible service, don't bother calling ahead because they only start making the order once you arrive. Wait time is ridiculous. Would never recommend anyone here

While Safari serves coffee, it's also a Somali restaurant.Restaurant has two sides; one is more take-out and for coffee, sambusas, sweet bread, and other items I don't know the names of (on left as you enter); the other is sit down with tables and booths (on right as you enter).Whatever else you order, I would recommend the Chai as it's exceptional. The Sambusas are also delicious.We had the lamb shank and chicken dishes made to order on the restaurant side; they are doing dine-in and take-out during the Coronavirus. Portions were large, and even included a salad with entree. Bismati rice was great, and I love the spices the Somalis use. Most of the patrons are Somalis enjoying their authentic cuisine and restaurant was busy due to the great food. Staff is very friendly and explained menu. I will definitely be back.

Rye is the most expensive one I can ever get in the way I am now I have a good day at school I don't have any other people that are in my house and I'm going back and forth to my parents and then I'm just getting home from school I have a good day I'll talk later I'll see what I'm doing and I can talk to her about her and I'll be sure to see you soon love y'all I'll be sure if you're going over to her place and I'll come over later and I'll see you later